'High profile' offenders owe £4m

Westminster council has revealed that foreign car owners owe almost £4 million in unpaid parking fines.

The fines are owed to the council by the foreign owners of cars and motorcycles over a period of three years. More than 80% of foreign drivers have refused to pay for their offences.

The council says the owners knowingly violate rules with the knowledge that officials can not find them back in their own countries.

It has also named particular "high profile" offenders in the hope that they might pay their dues. One such offender is the owner of a £300,000 Rolls Royce Phantom with the number plate 3HVB - which has 18 tickets and more than £2,000 worth of fines.

Another is the owner of a £1.2 million Bugatti Veyron L'Edition Centenaire with the number plate 444 - who parked outside a main entrance to Selfridges department store in March.

The car is considered to be one of the fastest and most expensive production super-cars in the world with a top speed of 250mph.